Author in the picture: Lally Brown

Since 2012, I have a Twitter account. Almost from the beginning I met some lovely authors such as Lally Brown. 

She always posts very interesting tweets. She also has written three fantastic books:

- The Countess, Napoleon and St. Helena,

- The Volcano, Montserrat and Me,

- High and Dry in the BVI.

Here books are a splendid mix of personal memoirs and history as well,
written in a style I like. 

When I started this book blog, I really wanted her to ask some interesting?
questions for my author page. 

So here is the Author in the picture interview of Lally Brown. 

The Interview

Since when did you start writing stories and books?

I think I must have been born with the urge to write and tell stories Kathleen! Apparently I wrote my first ‘poem’ (about three naughty bears) when I was six and I’ve been writing all sorts of stuff ever since. My sister was an invalid and I would sit beside her bed and make up stories as I went along, something I now enjoy doing with my four grandsons. I was a journalist for a while and this enabled me to play with words - great experience for a wannabe writer!

Do you keep a diary?

Not anymore, but when I first lived abroad my parents demanded to know every little detail of my exciting new life. They insisted on long weekly letters, which they carefully saved. These became known in the family as ‘Lally’s Journals’ and later formed the foundation of my memoirs.

You’ve lived in lots of places around the world. Where was/is your favourite place?

Oh my goodness that’s a hard one to answer. I’ve loved every home I’ve ever had, from a pretty little house in an English village (one church, one shop, three pubs, primary school and village green) to the remote and isolated island of St Helena in the middle of the South Atlantic. Exiled Napoleon may have hated the island but I loved the peace, scenery, and the fabulously friendly people.

On reflection I can see that I am obviously devoted to islands, Caribbean islands in particular. Even the smallest island has a fascinating history when you begin to dig. Add sunshine, beautiful deserted beaches, shimmering sapphire sea, spectacular scenery, and you have a winning combination. Of course nature can and does throw in a wobbly now and again, an erupting volcano or a hurricane for instance.

Truth be told though I adore where I live now. The Isle of Wight is tucked into a dimple off the south coast of England. We have everything. Slow pace of life, history coming out of our ears, wonderful sandy beaches, nice climate, lovely walking and cycling. No volcanoes and no hurricanes and I can see my grandsons whenever I like. I feel well blessed to be living here. Our island motto sums it up perfectly … “All this beauty is of God.”

Have you inherited certain habits from places you’ve lived?

Definitely …for instance I am amazingly careful with water, a precious commodity when you have to collect the rain from your roof into a cistern built under the house and that’s all you’ve got to last you through the dry season. I’ve also collected some terrific recipes which I use often. For instance Jamaican banana bread and St Helena fishcakes, tomato paste sandwiches and the traditional island ‘Plo’ are regulars in my kitchen. When I lived in St Helena I edited and published a book of island recipes for my neighbour who was a great cook, and now I use this myself all the time.

Do you listen to music while writing?

No I don’t, which is odd considering I’m a huge fan of classical music (especially Mozart) but when I write I’m in  my own little world, totally cut off from whatever is happening around me. Music would just be a distraction.

Do you have other interests? I know you have a great knowledge about roses. But what else do you like or are you interested by? Inspired by?

Ha ha … roses are my husband’s pride and joy and I’ve absorbed knowledge of them through a sort of osmosis. But I thoroughly enjoy cooking, making my own cakes, bakes and jams. And when the elderflower blooms I can be found early morning gathering bunches of blossom to make elderflower cordial.

Also I thoroughly enjoy walking, especially up on the cliffs and down by the beach, the sound of the sea is so soothing and the breeze blows away any cobwebs in my head.

In a later e-mail Lally added:

 I realised afterwards I'd forgotten to mention my love of photography ... can't imagine how i could have omitted that since I've been developing and printing my own images since I was 12 ..... digital camera's are just so easy these days!

 I liked the way you stayed calm and busy during the volcano eruption. Are you always so cool and calm?

 Oh if only I could say ‘yes’ to this question Kathleen! I’d describe myself as a worrier, but it does seem that when my back is to the wall something deep inside just takes over and helps me cope and I can appear cool, calm and collected in a crisis.

Which other authors do you like and do you recommend?

Far too many to mention, unless you can give me a couple of blank pages and I’ll happily list them for you. Way back during my adolescence, author Dervla Murphy was an inspiration to me, what a woman, ‘Full Tilt – Ireland to India with a bicycle’ made me dream of being a free-spirit wandering the globe, I blame her for my lifelong love of travel.

But my current absolute favourite authors include two lovely ladies, Valerie Poore and Beth Haslam. Both have given me so much pleasure through their writing, I am forever grateful.

Do you have new writing plans?

Well I’m supposed to be finalising my new memoir ready for launch very soon. It’s called ‘Treefrogs Can’t Sing’ and chronicles a return to the British Virgin Islands with a baby and a toddler. It is the sequel to my first BVI memoir ‘High and Dry in the BVI’ but stands alone.

Breaking news! 

There is more.... Lally has allowed me to reveal ....

the first cover of her newest book! What a beauty! 

 

To conclude

I only read two of the three books of Lally Brown. I really liked them both so I hope to read the
two books about the BVI. 

If you want to know more about Lally Brown check these links:

Goodreads on this link

Twitter on this link 

Of course her books (with the exception of the latest one) are available on Amazon.